Alveolar breath collection apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for collecting volatile organic compounds from a gas sample such as alveolar breath or room air comprises an exhaust portion having at least a flow measuring device, and a discriminating device for distinguishing between alveolar and non-alveolar breath. The apparatus further comprises a collection portion distinct from and parallel with the exhaust portion having at least a collection component for receiving and concentrating gas samples within a collection chamber and a sampling component having a plurality of sampling devices for receiving the concentrated gas sample from the collection chamber and isolating VOCs contained in the gas sample. The collection chamber is compressible via a drive mechanism for precisely actuating the chamber to draw a gas sample into the collection chamber and circulating the sample to the sampling devices. Use of a drive mechanism enables the exhaust portion to be distinct from the collection portion, thereby mitigating cross-contamination therebetween.

Description

PRIORITY APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 14 / 720,456 filed on May 22, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 002,159 filed on May 22, 2014, the content of each being incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]An improved apparatus for medical diagnostics is provided. More specifically, an improved apparatus for receiving and sampling volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from at least one gas sample is provided, some or all of the gas sample comprising human alveolar breath.BACKGROUND[0003]The analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled human breath is rapidly emerging as a painless, non-invasive alternative to conventional methods of disease diagnosis and metabolite measurement. Breath VOC measurement is also commonly used for monitoring the effects of human exposure to environmental pollutants and drugs.[0004]Hundreds of VOCs have been found in ex...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes an apparatus for collecting and analyzing gas samples, specifically for the purpose of detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in the sample. The apparatus includes a gas collection and sampling portion and an exhaust portion. The gas sample can be collected from a variety of sources such as human breath or ambient air. The apparatus can measure the gas sample's flow and monitor its physical characteristics, such as the level of carbon dioxide. The gas sample can also be directed to a gas sampling device for further analysis. The technical effects of this patent include improved collection and storage of VOCs for future analysis, as well as more accurate and efficient analysis of gas samples for the detection of VOCs.

Problems solved by technology

The method is therefore subject to inaccuracies in cases where a particular subject's lung capacity and / or expiration rate deviates strongly from the normal assumptions.

While the Baghdassarian apparatus employs a CO2-based method for discriminating between alveolar and tidal breath, it is unable to concentrate VOCs and is unable to remove undesired CO2 and water from the breath sample.

However, the Kline Apparatus is designed to collect breath water vapour for subsequent analysis of the breath condensates found therein, and is not appropriate for applications where it is desirable to filter out such water and to concentrate remaining breath VOCs.

While the apparatus taught in Cormier is capable of isolating and concentrating the alveolar portion of exhaled breath, the use of a pump to deliver collected breath to the sorbent tubes can be problematic, as using a pump to draw collected breath from the collection chamber lacks responsiveness and precision, and can also be unsafe to the user.

The lack of precision results from an “all-or-nothing” approach where the collection chamber must be completely filled and completely emptied, with no opportunity to fill only a portion of the collection chamber, or draw a portion of the collected breath as there is no method of determining how much breath has been collected in, or drawn from, the collection chamber.

Additionally, as the capnometer and flowmeter in Cormier are positioned in-line with the collection chamber, there is a risk of accumulated particles in the capnometer / flowmeter from prior samples contaminating new breath samples.

Similarly, arranging the flowmeter and capnometer in-line with the rest of the system results in a longer travel distance between the mouthpiece and the collection chamber, which provides more opportunities for contaminants to collect.

Further, the Cormier system, which is restricted to the use of a 4-way valve design, only permits one flow path to be open at a time, precluding the possibility of cleaning or flushing procedures with room air.

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